Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village Nature Hut

A Nature Hut was built at Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village during September-October 2012. We used a fusion of building techniques including: traditional Rwandan building techniques with grass, wood frame and Earthbag/Superadobe construction. We prepared a picture filled instruction manual on How to Make A Nature Hut so as to help others continue a project like this in the future. It is a very simple design and can be adapted to different places, using different materials.

Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village is a youth village in Rwanda. There are 500 students who are selected because they are vulnerable, and orphaned. These students come to the village for four years to 'restore the rhythm of life'. The village gives them a secondary school education, as well as a family with brothers, sisters and mamas. The students participate in many enrichment programs such as art, music, sports, as well as community projects in the village and outside.

ASYV has not only residential areas, but sports field, dining hall, and school but a large farm, and a Nature Park. The Nature Park is above the school, on the top of the hill and hosts more than 72 species of trees and 90 different species of birds have been spotted in the park. It is also home to many plants, reptiles, insects and small mammals. The Nature Park was created in 2011 and now the village wants to encourage more people to use the Nature Park by expanding the education and infrastructure in the park. The Nature Hut was created in order to fill this need.